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Headley's steady approach paying off

Headley's steady approach paying off

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050911 Chase Headley

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SAN DIEGO -- Chase Headley entered Thursday's game with an 11-game hitting streak, the longest of his career. But the Padres' third baseman says his recent success isn't a byproduct of anything he's done.

"I actually felt like I was swinging the bat pretty well, even when things weren't going well," Headley said. "Lately, I've had things go my way a little bit."

So, if anything, what does he think jump-started him?

"I think as the team starts to get going, you get a few guys hot," Headley said. "It's a lot easier to hit when you have three, four, five guys that are hitting well than when you have one guy trying to carry the load. I feel like we're swinging the bats better as a whole."

Although the Padres have won five of their last seven games, few players have been hitting at Headley's pace.

During his hitting streak -- the fourth-longest active streak in the Majors -- Headley has quietly batted .341 (14-for-41).

"You feel that confidence when things are going well," Headley said, "but I try to stay basically the same, whether I'm going good or bad, with my drills and my routines.

"If there's something specific I feel like I need to work on, I'll go do that. But for the most part, it's just staying with the routine, trusting the work that you do and hopefully it will pay off for you."